Pink Up!

As we plan the summer wine selection at One Girl Cookies DUMBO, Winebow invited us to their Pink Up! event at Corkbuzz to sample their Rose selection this year. As someone who usually veers away from Rose, I was eager to join in on the tasting to see what the fuss is all about! I can definitely say now I feel differently about the wine!

Joel and I were lucky to be accompanied by our Winebow rep Chris Roberts, otherwise we would not have known where to begin! Since we are neighbors to the Brooklyn Bridge Park in DUMBO, we tend to get a lot of customers craving a crisp and refreshing drink during the hotter seasons after spending a day outside and having a nice glass of rosé seems to remedy that quite well!

At One Girl, we try to stick to a certain light & tasty flavor that tends to stem from Italy or France. Although we were given an abundance of choices, Joel and I were able to single out a few of the tastiest. Since the sun is coming out more and more, come by and have a glass with some cheese and crackers!

Sparkling rosé is always a treat for the warmer, summer months. Perfectly paired with cheese, nuts, and some crackers, it will maintain balance between the salty, tangy cheese while keeping your taste-buds entertained. We thought our rosemary spiced nuts and the Cabot Clothbound cheddar would pair beautifully with most of these. Of the sparkling rose samples available, we tasted:

Zardetto Rose, from Italy, with crisp aromas of cherry and red currant, light acidity and a velvety-smooth finish. The color of this rose resembled a raspberry, which automatically takes you to summer.

Fleury Rose Brut, from France, a delightful combination of strawberries and forest air; small, smooth bubbles with great texture.

Lanson Brut Rose, from France, this was a pleasant mixture of Pinot Noir (53%), Chardonnay (32%), and Pinot Meunier (15%); initial taste is gentle and filled with berries leading to a long-lasting finish.

And finally, for still rose, another great wine to pair with our cheese plate and spicy nuts; or if you want to follow in Dawn's footsteps, a great wine to pair with chocolate (example: our Juliette cookie, or a chocolate whoopie pie).

Les Pallieres Gigondas Au Petit Bonheur, a Grenache, Syrah, Cinsault, Clairett blend that hails from France; these grapes are pressed straight after picking and matured in wood. This process yields a crisp wine with a brilliant appearance.

Vitiano Rosato, a blend of Merlot, Sangiovese, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Aleatico; this wine is from the Umbrai region in Italy; it is dry, medium-bodied, with clean aromas of strawberries, plums and cranberries.

I never imagined there were so many different flavors, textures, and colors of Rose. It is such a simple wine, which pairs so well with a summer picnic or barbeque, and yet the wine itself is quite complex and versatile. Probably a wine I would usually skip over, now I'm more eager to test more bottles this summer!

About Vanessa Du Pree

Vanessa is one of the co-managers at our DUMBO store! She started as a barista three days after moving to New York City, from Portland, Oregon, and has loved it ever since. She's currently living in Brooklyn and about to start school at Fordham University. If you can't find her in the cafe, she's probably at a show, a museum, or exploring the city with her friends. Come in and say hi to her!

Meta

Dave Crofton, co-owner of One Girl Cookies, began his culinary career baking artisanal bread in Richmond, Virginia. He moved to New York City to attend the Institute of Culinary Education, and graduated with a degree in Baking and Pastry Arts. While in school, he took a part time job with One Girl Cookies to help develop and expand their line of handmade tea cookies. Upon graduation, he became a partner with Dawn Casale, the founder of One Girl Cookies. Two years later, Dawn and Dave opened their bakery and cafe in Cobble Hill, Brooklyn in 2005. Since the opening day and continuing into their new cafe in Dumbo, Dawn and Dave believe in using the finest ingredients available and baking everything from scratch.

Barneys New York was the place I called my second home for six years. It was the classroom in which I learned the importance of aesthetic, the power of creativity and the joy of indulgence. At a point in time which I cannot specifically put my finger on, I reflected on my career choices and decided to return to that which I really knew... food and humanity's love of it. I began to think about my childhood and how much of it had been happily spent in the kitchen. The memories of the aromas and flavors that came from my grandmother's kitchen were vivid and exhilarating. That is where I learned about the ritual and significance of food, the sense of happiness and comfort it brought, and the essential elements of quality and care that went into its preparation.